Soybeans transformed with a fungal phytase gene improve phosphorus availability for broilers

Male broilers (n = 416) were used to compare the efficacy of providing dietary phytase either as a commercial supplement or as a recombinant protein in transformed soybean. From 7 to 21 d of age, broilers were fed a basal diet containing 0.20% nonphytate P (nP) with additional supplementation by fungal phytase as Natuphos or as raw transformed soybeans expressing recombinant phytase at 400, 800, or 1,200 U/kg. For comparison, broilers were also fed the basal diet containing 0.08, 0.16, or 0.24 added nP. The basal diet was fed as the negative control. Diets were consumed ad libitum as a mash. All excreta were collected from each pen from 18 through 20 d of age, and the birds were killed at 21 d of age. Supplementing the basal diet with nP linearly increased body weight gain, feed efficiency, feed intake, toe ash weight and percentage, and tibia shear force and energy. Phosphorus digestibility decreased linearly as nP level increased, but P excretion increased. Dietary phytase linearly increased growth rate, feed intake, toe ash weight and percentage, tibia shear force and energy, and P digestibility, whereas excretion was decreased. Except for P digestibility, there was no difference in efficacy of responses for performance, bone mineralization, and P excretion between the two sources of phytase. It appears from this study that phytase can improve growth performance of broilers fed low nP diets when provided either as a commercial supplement or in the form of transformed seeds.